criminal negligence: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2Formal / Legal
Quick answer
What does “criminal negligence” mean?
A legal concept describing a serious, reckless disregard for the safety or life of others that breaches a duty of care, potentially leading to criminal charges.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A legal concept describing a serious, reckless disregard for the safety or life of others that breaches a duty of care, potentially leading to criminal charges.
More broadly, it can refer to extreme and culpable carelessness in any professional or official capacity, implying a failure so severe it could be considered morally or legally criminal.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The legal definitions and standards for proving criminal negligence are similar, but specific statutes and applications (e.g., in corporate manslaughter law in the UK vs. involuntary manslaughter statutes in the US) differ. The term 'gross negligence manslaughter' is more common in UK law for the resulting offence.
Connotations
Identically severe in both dialects. Strongly associated with court cases, medical malpractice, corporate disasters, and fatal accidents.
Frequency
Comparable frequency in legal and journalistic contexts. Rare in everyday conversation.
Grammar
How to Use “criminal negligence” in a Sentence
be guilty of + criminal negligenceThe + [noun phrase] + amounted to criminal negligencecharges of + criminal negligencedue to + criminal negligenceVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “criminal negligence” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The company was found to have criminally neglected its duty of care.
- He criminally neglected the basic safety protocols.
American English
- The contractor was charged with criminally neglecting building codes.
- They criminally neglected to maintain the equipment.
adverb
British English
- The system was criminally negligently mismanaged.
- He acted criminally negligently in ignoring the warnings.
American English
- The landlord criminally negligently failed to repair the stairs.
- The data was handled criminally negligently.
adjective
British English
- The coroner ruled it a case of criminally negligent manslaughter.
- Their behaviour was deemed criminally negligent.
American English
- The doctor faced charges for being criminally negligent.
- A criminally negligent level of oversight led to the tragedy.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in contexts of corporate liability, health and safety failures, or director misconduct, e.g., 'The board's inaction constituted criminal negligence.'
Academic
Analyzed in law, criminology, and ethics papers discussing the boundaries between civil and criminal liability.
Everyday
Rare. Might be used hyperbolically in heated debate, e.g., 'Leaking those documents was criminal negligence!'
Technical
A precise legal term defining an element of offences like manslaughter, medical malpractice causing death, or endangerment.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “criminal negligence”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “criminal negligence”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “criminal negligence”
- Using it to describe minor carelessness. Confusing it with 'civil negligence'. Using it as an adjective (e.g., 'He was very criminal negligent' is wrong; use 'He was criminally negligent').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Ordinary (civil) negligence is a failure to exercise reasonable care, resulting in harm, and is dealt with in lawsuits for damages. Criminal negligence is a much more serious, reckless disregard for the safety of others that is so extreme it warrants criminal punishment, such as imprisonment.
Yes, through laws like 'corporate manslaughter' (UK) or specific statutes (US). A company can be prosecuted if its culture or senior management's gross failures cause a death.
No. Criminal negligence does not require an intention to cause harm. It involves a conscious disregard of, or indifference to, a substantial and unjustifiable risk that amounts to a gross deviation from standard care.
It is less common than other charges because the burden of proof is high. It is typically reserved for the most serious cases of avoidable harm, often resulting in death or catastrophic injury.
A legal concept describing a serious, reckless disregard for the safety or life of others that breaches a duty of care, potentially leading to criminal charges.
Criminal negligence is usually formal / legal in register.
Criminal negligence: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkrɪmɪnəl ˈneɡlɪdʒəns/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkrɪmɪnəl ˈneɡlɪdʒəns/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[not a typical source for idioms]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: CRIMINAL = related to crime. NEGLIGENCE = extreme carelessness. Put together, it's carelessness so bad it's a crime.
Conceptual Metaphor
NEGLIGENCE IS A HOLE IN A SAFETY NET (criminal negligence is a gaping hole leading to disaster).
Practice
Quiz
Which scenario best illustrates 'criminal negligence'?